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Resiliency and Friendship: Reflections on 3.11
Sasakawa USA welcomed Ambassador John Roos, partner and Co-Founder of Geodesic Capital and U.S. Ambassador to Japan from 2009-2013, Ms. Susie Roos, Partner and CAO at Geodesic Capital, and Ms. Suzanne Basalla, President and CEO of U.S.-Japan Council and Senior Advisor to Ambassador Roos at the U.S. Embassy Tokyo from 2010-2012 to recount their personal stories of being in Tokyo during the March 11, 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, and in the days and months that followed. Ms. Shanti Shoji, Director of Programs at Sasakawa USA, provided opening remarks and moderated the event.
Statement by General Ryoichi Oriki at JUMP Operation TOMODACHI: A Ten-Year Commemoration
An English translation of General Ryoichi Oriki, JGSDF (Ret.) statement provided at Sasakawa USA’s recent event, Operation TOMODACHI: A Ten-Year Commemoration, where he expresses his heartfelt gratitude to the U.S. government and military for their enduring support through Operation TOMODACHI.
Operation TOMODACHI: A Ten-Year Commemoration
On March 3, JUMP hosted a virtual event in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan and Sasakawa USA. Ambassador Koji Tomita, Admiral Patrick M. Walsh, USN (Ret.), Commanders of the U.S. and Japan military divisions that led Operation TOMODACHI, General Ryoichi Oriki, JGSDF (Ret.), and Major General Hiroyuki Sugai, Defense and Air Attaché at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C., delivered special remarks and reflected on the success of Operation TOMODACHI.
Crisis in Myanmar: Pathways for U.S.-Japan Cooperation
On February 18, Sasakawa USA host an online event on current affairs in Myanmar with Dr. David I. Steinberg, Distinguished Professor of Asian Studies Emeritus at Georgetown University, Min. Shinichi Iida, Minister of Political Affairs at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C., and Amb. Derek Mitchell, President of the National Democratic Institute and Former U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar.
Remembering Dr. Ezra Vogel
On February 2, 2021, Sasakawa USA hosted a memorial paying tribute to Dr. Ezra Vogel, an eminent scholar of Japan and China who passed away on December 20, 2020. This remembrance brought together Dr. Steven K. Vogel, Chair of the Political Economy Program at the University of California, Berkeley, Mr. Glen S. Fukushima, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, and Dr. Joseph S. Nye, Jr., University Distinguished Service Professor, Emeritus at Harvard University to share their personal experiences with the late scholar.
Charting a Shared Course: U.S.-Japan Security in 2021 and Beyond
On January 26, 2021, Sasakawa USA was pleased to host an online event on the U.S.-Japan alliance with Rear Admiral James Kelly, USN (Ret.), Former Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Japan, and Dr. Takako Hikotani, the Gerald L. Curtis Associate Professor of Modern Japanese Politics and Foreign Policy at Columbia University.
The U.S.-Japan Space Partnership: A Shared, Evolving Mission
On December 10, 2020, Sasakawa USA welcomed Dr. Masami Onoda, Director of the JAXA Washington D.C. Office and Mr. Kimitake Nakamura, Minister at the Embassy of Japan in Washington D.C. for a virtual roundtable to address recent developments in the U.S.-Japan partnership in space exploration, including JAXA Astronaut Dr. Soichi Noguchi’s flight to the International Space Station on SpaceX Crew-1 and JAXA Astronaut Mr. Akihiko Hoshide’s planned flight on SpaceX Crew-2 next spring.
Central Bank Digital Currencies: Viewpoints from Tokyo and Washington
On December 8, Sasakawa USA welcomed Dr. Robert Dohner, Nonresident Senior Fellow at The Atlantic Council, Mr. Ichiro Oishi, Minister of Financial Affairs at the Embassy of Japan in Washington DC, and Mr. Yasuhiro Yamai, Managing Director of Corporate Planning at Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, for a virtual roundtable on central bank digital currencies (CBDC). The panel analyzed key questions surrounding debates by major central banks on the introduction of CBDC, including how the U.S. and Japan could work together on this issue based on viewpoints from both the public and private sectors.
Japanese War Brides: Bridges in the Post-War Alliance
On December 3, 2020, Sasakawa USA hosted Ms. Kathryn Tolbert, an editor at the Washington Post, and Col. (Ret.) Jyuji Hewitt for a virtual seminar. Ms. Tolbert used materials from her Japanese War Brides oral history project to discuss the role of Japanese women who married American GIs following World War II as bridges in Japan’s transition from wartime enemy to ally. Col. (Ret.) Jyuji Hewitt, whose family’s story has been preserved through the Japanese War Brides project, offered a personal perspective on the impact of the war brides on U.S.-Japan relations.
The Suga Administration: Balancing Continuity and Reform
On October 26, 2020, Sasakawa USA welcomed Dr. Gerald Curtis, Burgess Professor Emeritus at Columbia University, for a virtual roundtable. Dr. Curtis discussed recent political developments in Japan with a focus on Prime Minister Suga and his new administration. In addition to reviewing Prime Minister Suga’s first month in office, Dr. Curtis assessed what major challenges await the Suga administration and shared his insights on the future of U.S.-Japan relations.